2009/06/30

They hadn't expected weekend business to be so slow...

For the time being, I don't have anything else to say about past perfect tense. (definitions from 英辞郎 on the web)
  • for the time being
    差し当たり(は)、当分{とうぶん}(の間)◆【略】FTTB
I took this photo on Saturday. This is the FedEx Kinko's on Eitai Avenue. The sign says "open 24 hours", but they clearly aren't on Saturday.

When they put up this sign, maybe they hadn't expected weekend business to be so slow.
Business is slow on weekdays.平日はあまり(商品が)売れない。
Business has been slow. 事業があまり振るわない。/客足はぼちぼちだ。
I wonder if they were ever open 24 hours on weekends? They used to be open on Saturday mornings, though. That's why I stopped by there.

I had wanted to print something out before class. I hadn't taken the time to print it the night before. Unfortunately, I couldn't because they were closed.
  • take the time to
    ~するために時間{じかん}を割く、時間{じかん}を取って~する、~の時間{じかん}を取る◆【語法】toの直後には動詞の原形が来る
Here's the full list of posts on past perfect tense:

http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/series-on-using-past-perfect.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them-part-2.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them-part-3.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them-part-4.html

Starting tomorrow, a new topic!

完了時制 -- When do I use them? (part 4)

One common pattern for using past perfect uses a "when" phrase. Look back at the last post on past perfect tense from last week:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them-part-3.html
In this case, "when" is a conjunction connecting what looks like two sentences. One style is like this. In the "when" clause, use past tense. It's talking about "past1". In the main clause, use past perfect. It's talking about "past2". For example:
× When I got home tonight, it didn't start raining. <- it sounds like I expected that arriving at home would cause the rain to start... strange...
○ When I got home tonight, it hadn't started raining yet.
× When I opened the bag of eggplants, they spoiled. <- it sounds like they were fine until I opened the bag... strange...
○ When I opened the bag of eggplants, they had already spoiled.
Another style is like this. Use "when" with past perfect to show one action is complete, and that something happened after that. You could also use "after" instead of when. The main clause says what happened after the past perfect verb was completed. Notice that the past tense/past tense version is also OK in this case.
○ When they had finished the work, they took a break.
○ When they finished the work, they took a break.
○ After he had read the book, he wrote a review of it on amazon.com.
○ After he read the book, he wrote a review of it on amazon.com.
When I took this photo, I had already cut the cucumbers and put the red peppers in the container, but I hadn't yet added the vinegar, salt, or sesame oil. I finished adding those things, and then I put the mixture in the refrigerator. After it had been been in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, I took it out and served it.
  • 酢 (す) (n) vinegar; (P);
  • 黄瓜 (きゅうり) (oK) (n) cucumber;
  • 胡麻油 (ごまあぶら) (n) sesame oil;
Take a look at the other posts on past perfect for review.
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/series-on-using-past-perfect.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them-part-2.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them-part-3.html
I might write more on past perfect tomorrow. Take care!

2009/06/26

完了時制 -- When do I use them? (part 3)

I've been talking about past perfect (and other perfect tenses) for a few days now. Here's the list of posts:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/series-on-using-past-perfect.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/when-do-i-use-them-part-2.html
I mentioned that you can use past perfect to talk about something that was related to another past time. Like I said about present perfect a while back, you can also use past perfect to talk about something that continued up to a past time.

So, just like I can say:
  • I have lived in Japan since 2001.
I can also say:
  • I moved to Japan after I had lived in Taiwan for four and a half years.
Maybe it's more common to use past perfect continuous, though, like this:
  • I had been living in Taiwan for about five months when I first experienced an earthquake. <- true!
  • I had been taking a shower for about five minutes when the whole place starting shaking because of an earthquake, the second one I had ever experienced. <- also true! Notice the past perfect in the second half of the sentence.
One day when I was an elementary school student, my mom took me to the mall. In one shop, there was a red jacket with zippers on it, just like in the "Beat It" video!

I had wanted to have a jacket like that ever since seeing the video. For whatever reason, my mom wouldn't buy me the jacket. His albums "Thriller" and "Bad" still sound good to me.

Rest in peace, Michael Jackson.
  • rest in peace〔魂などが〕安らかに眠る、〔霊などが〕休まる◆【略】R.I.P. ・May he rest in peace. : 彼の冥福を祈る。・May his spirit rest in peace. : 彼の魂が安らかに眠らんことを。

2009/06/25

完了時制 -- When do I use them? (part 2)


Here's the updated picture from yesterday. Notice how the relationship between one time and a time after it is the same in every case.

That's why past perfect tense is called "past perfect": it's related to some point in the past. Present perfect is related to now. Future perfect is related to some time in the future.

If you can understand this point, then all of the perfect tenses become easier to use, not just past perfect.

You were supposed to add something to yesterday's diagram. I hope you have done it.

I finished this diagram a few minutes ago. I did that because I had told you I would do so. Check your diagram with this one.

I also asked you about these sentences in yesterday's post:
I took my rain suit with me because I had expected it to rain. <- take, past1; expect, past2
I haven't figured out how to make my backpack lighter. <- figure out, past1, related to now
Today I tried a new Indian restaurant. I hadn't been there before. The vegetable curry was nice, but somehow I missed the Nepalese guy at the other restaurant who always tells me things like "today too much hot".
× Today too much hot.
○ It's too hot today (to go out).
○ It's really hot today. <- more natural
By the time this series is over, you will have improved your understanding of perfect tenses. More tomorrow!

2009/06/24

完了時制 -- When do I use them?


One thing that is useful to realize is that perfect tenses (完了時制) generally work by the same logic.
  • logic 論理{ろんり}、論理学{ろんりがく}、論法{ろんぽう}、ロジック、道理{どうり}、理詰め{りづめ}、理屈{りくつ}I see the logic in all that. : その理屈は分かります。It's your logic. : それはあなたの考えだ。(definition from 英辞郎 on the web)
Look at the diagram on the right. When we use a perfect tense, it means that an event has a relationship to some time after the event happens. Can you add something to the diagram to show which time the verb with the perfect tense is related to? I'll update the diagram tomorrow.

I had planned to put an interesting photo with today's post, but I didn't manage to take any good pictures today. <- past perfect

Instead, I have made this diagram. <- present perfect

I hope you will have solved the question about the diagram by tomorrow night. <- future perfect

It was really hot today, wasn't it? I took my rain suit with me because I had expected it to rain. However, it just made my backpack heavier, which made me sweatier. I hope nobody noticed. I haven't figured out how to make my backpack lighter. It's tough having to carry around a portable office all of the time.
  • sweaty 汗の出る、汗にまみれた、汗が出るほどの、汗まみれの、汗のような、汗臭い I'm all sweaty. : 汗びっしょりだ。
Can you match the perfect tense sentences in the paragraph above to the diagram? More tomorrow...

2009/06/23

A series on using past perfect


The next series of posts I'm going to write is on past perfect tense. People already feel present perfect is difficult, so past perfect feels even tougher.
  • tough〔任務遂行・問題解決・交渉などが〕難しい、困難{こんなん}な、骨の折れる、厳しい、きつい It's tough to be a man. : 男はつらいよ。
For present perfect, please see the series of articles I did on it a while ago:
I'll start the series tomorrow.

The dinner which I cooked last night wasn't so successful. I tried to make fried noodles and a spicy soup to go with them. The spicy soup turned out alright, but the noodles were a disaster. The flavor was alright, but somehow the noodles all clumped together.
  • 塊まり (かたまり) (n) lump; mass; bundle; clump; clod; cluster; (used as a verb above)
I was especially disappointed because I had just made great fried noodles the night before. <- past perfect

What went wrong?

I should have taken a picture of my clump of noodles, but I was too disappointed and just ate them instead.

Here's a picture of the successful meal which I cooked on Saturday night: stir-fried greens with vegetarian pepper steak, fried tofu with chives in a five-spice sauce, fried noodles with XO sauce, and spicy cucumber salad. I was particularly pleased with the chives and tofu. I had been thinking about how to cook chives, and when I checked on the internet, I found someone cooking them with tofu and that five spice mixture. <- past perfect continuous

Anyway, watch for the start of the past perfect series tomorrow. Good night!

2009/06/20

disgusted と disgusting の違いは何ですか



As the train pulled up to Shibuya Station I noticed that there were a number of empty seats in the car I wanted to get on. It is my lucky day I thought. As soon as the train doors opened I quickly realized why there so many empty seats. Someone had had one drink too many.

Fill in the blanks using
a) disgusted b) disgusting

This scene is ___________.
I feel _________ when looking at this picture.
The person who threw up on the train is _________ person.
I wonder if the woman in the white cardigan sitting down feels ________

disgusting/disgusted
むかつくような、うんざりさせる、胸が悪くなるような、実に嫌な、気持ち悪い、気色悪い、感じ(の)悪い、汚らわしい、〔気分的{きぶんてき}に〕最低{さいてい}な

That's disgusting! : 最低!、むかつく!、なんてひどいことだ!

The scene was disgusting. そのシーンには目を背けたくなりまし

Whoa, that's disgusting! You use soy sauce for your fries? I've never seen that.
うわ、気持ち悪い!フライドポテトにしょうゆ使うの?そんなの見たことない

What is the difference?
The ~ed form expresses how somebody feels–an emotion.
For example, I have been studying for 6 hours straight. I am exhausted.
(It tells us how you feel)
The ~ing form tells us how something or somebody is, a state or condition.
For example, studying for 6 hours straight is exhausting.
(It tells us how it is)
Now try and make some of your own sentences… with
embarrassing/ embarrassed
exhilarating/ exhilarated

Ain't no sunshine right now.


Conditional sentences are difficult, aren't they? Still, I think I've said all I want to say for now. We'll talk about conditional sentences again in the future sometime.

Right now, I'm listening to a mix of R&B tunes. You can download the mix here:
http://www.xlr8r.com/listen/18216/mp3/Podcast_Mix_2009_06_18.mp3
The track listing is here:
http://www.xlr8r.com/podcast/2009/06/dudley-perkins-unconditional-lov
The first song is a great one by Roy Ayers: "Sunshine". Earlier this week, I was listening to another great song about sunshine with someone: Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIdIqbv7SPo
"Ain't" means "is not". In the title of that song, we should probably say "there isn't any sunshine." 英辞郎 on the web says this about "ain't"
ain't
am notの縮約形◆非標準
aren'tの縮約形◆非標準
isn'tの縮約形◆非標準
hasn'tの縮約形◆非標準
haven'tの縮約形◆非標準
"Ain't" really isn't correct English, but it's common in popular culture, so you should understand the meaning.

Here are some example sentences they have:
  • You ain't seen nothing yet.
    〈俗〉まだまだこれから。/こんなの序の口さ。
  • Ain't no thing. 〈俗〉お安いご用。/全然気にしないでいいよ。
There ain't no sunshine right now, for sure. There's just my lamp and the relatively few lights from the people still awake in the Chuo ward.
That's for sure. 確かにその通りです。/それは確かです。/それは確実です。/それは当然です。
区 (く) (n) ward; district; section; (P);
Sleep well!

2009/06/18

If you are sure something will happen, use "when" instead of "if".


I thought of another tricky point which we should include in this discussion of conditional sentences. Sometimes we want to talk about a condition which we know will happen. In that case, you should use "when" instead of "if". "If" usually means that we aren't sure it will happen.
× If rainy season comes, I have to use the air conditioner to dry my house.
When rainy season comes, I have to use the air conditioner to dry my house.

× If it's been two minutes, take the noodles off the stove.
When it's been two minutes, take the noodles off the stove.
Both of these sentences are correct, but note the different meanings:
If you graduate, you will receive a degree. <- you may not graduate
When
you graduate, you will receive a degree. <- you will definitely graduate

If you arrive at the station, we can go to the restaurant together. <- I don't know if you will arrive or not... maybe we aren't yet sure where to meet
When
you arrive at the station, we can go to the restaurant together. <- We have plans, and I know you will come. I'll be waiting for you.
I was at Shiodome City Center this evening. When I'm there, I usually go to the soup restaurant "Chowders" to get a cup of garden vegetable soup. It's the only vegetarian soup on their menu, I think. The rest have some kind of animal-based bullion. However, today I noticed that a "taco rice" restaurant there has vegetarian-friendly taco rice! If I can remember next time, I'll order it.

By the way, "taco rice" is Japanese English. Native speakers can probably guess what it is, but I'd never heard of it before coming to Japan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taco_rice

When this laundry is done, I have to hang it. Before that, I want to eat a snack, so it's time to end this post. If you are tired of hearing about my laundry, please tell me!

Here's the whole list of posts about conditional sentences:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-understand-conditional.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-get-to-station-before-last.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-put-hot-food-in-fridge-you-risk.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-dont-hang-this-laundry-tonight-it.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-were-empress-police-would-stop.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-had-stayed-out-bit-longer-this.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-arent-careful-you-might-make.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-would-you-have-chosen-as-your.html

What would you have chosen as your beverage if you had eaten lunch at this Indian restaurant?


I'm still talking about conditional sentences. Here's the whole list of posts about conditional sentences so far:

http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-understand-conditional.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-get-to-station-before-last.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-put-hot-food-in-fridge-you-risk.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-dont-hang-this-laundry-tonight-it.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-were-empress-police-would-stop.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-had-stayed-out-bit-longer-this.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-arent-careful-you-might-make.html
Yesterday, I asked you two questions:
If we see them, we know that rainy season is here. <- which type of conditional is this? <- It's zero conditional.
If I had been more careful, the picture wouldn't have come out blurry.
Sorry! <- which type of conditional is this? <- It's third.
One common mistake with conditional sentences is using "would". Look at these sentences:
× If there would be time, I would like to see it. <- "would like" means "want"; it's not the "would" from a hypothetical situation.
○ If there is time, I would like to see it. <- this is actually first conditional. It's describing a real future situation.

× If you would live somewhere in another country, where? <- we usually don't put "would" in the "if" clause
○ If you could live in another country, where would you live? <- "would" usually goes in the main clause

× If I would have big big money, I want to try it. <- this is supposed to be second conditional
○ If I had a lot of money, I would try it. <- also, don't use the phrase "big money"

× If I go to a museum, I would prefer pictures than art. <- this is talking about usual preference, not a specific case...
○ If I go to a museum, I prefer photos to paintings or other kinds of art. <- ... so don't use "would". This is zero conditional.

× If it would have been me, I went to the police. <- "would" is in the wrong place, and the tense in the main clause is wrong
○ If it had been me, I would have gone to the police. <- third conditional!
For lunch today, I had mixed bean curry (mostly lentils), which is usually called "dal" in most South Asian languages.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal
  • レンズ豆 (レンズまめ) (n) lentil; (definition from Edict)
I sometimes chat with the friendly Nepalese guys who work there. They speak a bit of English, but not so well. One of them always comments about my sunglasses, which he first told me were "very cute!" I was a bit confused, so then in Japanese he said 「スマート、スマート!!」. I thanked him. If I don't understand what he's saying, I speak slowly and ask him to explain again. Usually we manage to communicate. <- which conditional?

Anyway, when I was almost finished eating, he said "chai, OK?" when of course he means "would like some chai?" I said "sure". If you had been me, what would you have ordered? A smooth yogurt drink (lassi?)? Ice tea? <- which conditional was that?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lassi
We might be finished talking about conditional sentences for now. If I think of something else I want to say tomorrow, though, I might talk about conditionals again. <- which conditional is this?

Until tomorrow...

2009/06/17

Don't make these simple mistakes

What does she like?
What does she look like?
Who does she look like?
What is she like?

How would you answer the questions above? They are very simple questions but students still make mistakes when answering them. Let's look at the first one.

What does she like? (This questions asks you about your likes and dislikes)
She likes Italian food.
What about you, what(kind of food) do you like?

The second question, what does she look like? is asking about one's physical qualities.
A: What does she look like?
B: She is about 1.60m tall, slim, has long black hair, big almond shaped eyes, and a small mole on her left cheek. Here are two sample sentences I found on the ALC website
  • "What does your boyfriend look like?" "Well, his face is wide and he's bald."
    「あなたの彼ってどんな人?」「顔が大きくて頭は禿げているのよ」
  • Wow! What does she look like? まあ!彼女どんな感じなの?

Moving along to the third question, Who does she look like? is asking about who the person resembles.

resemble- (~のようである、~と[に]似ている、~に生き写しである)
I resemble my husband in that I am short. :
私は背が低いという点で夫と似ている。

A: Who does she look like?
B: She looks like her father. or
B: She looks like Angelina Jolie.

The last question, what is she like? is the one most students seem to get wrong most often.
This question asks about one's personality.

A: What is she like?
B: She is independent, ambitious, creative, charismatic.

  • I heard she is called the "iron woman." What's she like?
    鉄の女だなんて、どんな女だ?

If you aren't careful, you might make these mistakes.


If it weren't so late, today's post would be longer. If you haven't done it already, you should look at the previous posts on conditional sentences:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-understand-conditional.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-get-to-station-before-last.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-put-hot-food-in-fridge-you-risk.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-dont-hang-this-laundry-tonight-it.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-were-empress-police-would-stop.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-had-stayed-out-bit-longer-this.html
Yesterday, I asked:
If I had finished our study of conditional sentences today, we wouldn't be studying conditional sentences tomorrow. <- what kind of conditional sentence is this?
So here's the tricky thing:
If I had finished our study of conditional sentences today, <- "if" clause, past perfect we wouldn't be studying conditional sentences tomorrow. <- main clause, "would" + v <- WAIT, "WOULD" + V ?!?!
"Nick, didn't you say past perfect in the 'if' clause goes with 'would' plus present perfect tense?" I hear everyone asking me. That's USUALLY true, but not always. It's important to think about the meaning:
If I had finished our study of conditional sentences today, <- this is about the past
we wouldn't be studying conditional sentences tomorrow. <- but the reaction is in the future
That means this sentence is really like second conditional. It describes a hypothetical reaction in the future to an unreal past condition. Because of this, sometimes I see mistakes like this:
× If it hadn't been raining when I came in, I wouldn't have been wet now.
○ If it hadn't been raining when I came in, I wouldn't have gotten wet. <- third conditional
○ If it hadn't been raining when I came in, I wouldn't be wet now. <- second conditional
Look at this tricky one:
× If she didn't come, she would have some kind of problem. <- this is strange. It sounds like she will come, and in doing so will avoid a problem. This is correct second conditional grammar, but it's not what the speaker means.
○ If she didn't come, she must have had some kind of problem. <- She didn't come. The speaker guesses that the reason is she had some kind of problem. This is about a fact, so it's zero conditional. Notice that because of the auxiliary verb, "must", the tense changes from past to present perfect
You might have been happier if I had shown you the more common conditional sentence mistakes today. If I hadn't left you with that question yesterday, I would have talked about those more common mistakes today. However, that will have to wait until tomorrow.

In the meantime, look at these hydrangeas. If we see them, we know that rainy season is here. <- which type of conditional is this?
  • 紫陽花 (あじさい) (n) hydrangea; (definition from Edict)
If I had been more careful, the picture wouldn't have come out blurry. Sorry! <- which type of conditional is this?

Talk to you tomorrow!

2009/06/16

If I had stayed out a bit longer this evening, I would have gotten soaked.

Last week, I was talking about conditional sentences. We're not quite finished yet. First, you might want to review what I wrote last week:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-understand-conditional.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-get-to-station-before-last.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-put-hot-food-in-fridge-you-risk.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-dont-hang-this-laundry-tonight-it.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-were-empress-police-would-stop.html
Today we've got to talk about third conditional. The definitions below are from 英辞郎 on the web and Edict.

In my last post, I asked you:
If I had been thinking, I would have taken a picture. <- which type of conditional sentence is this?
The answer is third conditional! Like second conditional, it's used to talk about hypothetical situations, too. The difference is that these hypothetical situations are past hypothetical situations.

The grammar for third conditional is usually like this:
If you hadn't found my blog, <- "if" clause, past perfect tense
you wouldn't have been able to read my posts about conditional sentences last week. <- main clause, "would" + present perfect tense
You can use third conditional to talk about an alternate past history:
If the car had been invented by a Japanese inventor, would Tokyo have turned out like Detroit today?
invent = 開発する? (is this right in this case?)
I wonder how things would have been different if Kennedy hadn't been assassinated.
assassinate 【他動】~を暗殺{あんさつ}する、傷つける
You can use third conditional to talk about your regrets:
If I had studied Chinese characters harder in Taiwan, I would have had an easier time when I came to Japan.
If Bush hadn't been elected president, maybe there wouldn't have been a war in Iraq.
選ばれる be elected
You can use third conditional to talk about lucky situations:
If I hadn't come to Japan, maybe I wouldn't have met you.
If you hadn't studied English before, you wouldn't have been able to read this sentence. <- but you just did, and that's lucky for me and you, both!
Around 8:30 pm, I walked outside to get my bicycle and ride home. I noticed that the ground was wet, but it wasn't raining at that time. I thought about going to Bic Camera. That's because I want to get some things like a new wireless internet card for my laptop and some new cables for my audio mixer. However, my stomach was growling, and I decided to go home directly instead to eat.
  • My stomach's growling. おなかがなっている。
I arrived at my building, parked my bike, and took the elevator up to my apartment. When I got in the apartment and looked out the window, the scene had changed a lot! It was pouring!
  • in pouring rain 土砂降りの[降りしきる]雨の中で
If I had gone to Bic Camera, I would have gotten soaked in the rain. I had been thinking about this post all day. "What example am I going to use?" I had been thinking. I was going to say "if I hadn't taken my rain suit today, it would have rained cats and dogs." That could still be true. I took the rain suit, and of course, it didn't start raining until I got home. Still, I'm glad I didn't have to ride my bicycle in the rain today!

If I had finished our study of conditional sentences today, we wouldn't be studying conditional sentences tomorrow. <- what kind of conditional sentence is this?

However, we're not done. Tomorrow, we'll look at some mistakes with conditional sentences. Take care!

2009/06/12

If I were the Empress, the police would stop traffic for me, too.


I had an interesting experience this morning on the way to meet someone, but first, let's review. All week, I've been talking about conditional sentences:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-understand-conditional.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-get-to-station-before-last.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-put-hot-food-in-fridge-you-risk.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-i-dont-hang-this-laundry-tonight-it.html
You might be able to guess that today I want to talk about second conditional. As I said back on Tuesday, second conditional is about a condition which is not real or impossible. Sometimes we call this a hypothetical situation.
  • hypothetical situation 仮定{かてい}[仮想{かそう}]の状況
The grammar for second conditional is usually like this:
If I were you, <- "if" clause, past tense
I would try to master conditional sentences. <- main clause, "would" + v
The definitions below are from 英辞郎 on the web.

Textbooks use it to talk about situations that just aren't real:
If I were a 3-meter tall woman with four arms, I'd have trouble getting dates. <- get a date デートの相手{あいて}を見つける[つかまえる]
If my computer were made of cake, my fingers would be so dirty now.
You can use second conditional to express your wishes:
If there were 26 hours a day, I could get more done. <- get something done 手を打つ、策を講じる
If I had 100 million yen, I could easily retire somewhere in southeast Asia.
You can use second conditional to give advice.
If I were you, I'd become a vegetarian right away. <- sorry, I can't help but give you this advice :)
If I were you, I'd go back and review all of the posts on conditional sentences. <- really!
You can use second conditional to express relief:
If we lived in New York, we would have to worry about being mugged. mug ~を襲って金品{きんぴん}を奪う
If we lived in the Imperial Palace, we'd have to be more careful about everything we said.
So, speaking of the Imperial Palace, back to the story I mentioned at the beginning of this post. I was riding my bicycle on my way to meet someone. As I was riding through Otemachi, I saw many people at the intersection ahead of me. When I got there, I had to stop. The police had stopped all traffic: cars, trucks, bicycles, and pedestrians. One older man on the corner was yelling at the police, who ignored him. I looked far up the street and saw flashing lights.

"Ah, this must be some kind of VIP with a police escort," I thought. One motorcycle cop roared into the intersection, looked around, and sped off. He was followed by another. Then a black car drove up, and a man in a black suit checked out every direction and drove off. Finally, the whole motorcade came through the intersection. After two more police motorcycles, some police cars, and black cars, there was a Rolls Royce. Sitting in the back was the Empress. She was smiling and waving at everyone. The old man had stopped yelling. Her car proceeded towards the Imperial Palace, and after a minute, we were allowed to proceed. As a result, I was five minutes late to my appointment.

If I had been thinking, I would have taken a picture. <- which type of conditional sentence is this?

Anyway, like I said in the headline, if I were the Empress, the police would stop traffic for me, too. As it is, I have to yell at taxi drivers who try to run me over by myself, without any help from the police.

The picture for today's post is an idol of Ganesh, a Hindu god. This idol was given by Indian friends in California. If I were Hindu, I could explain it better. Unfortunately, I just know that it's auspicious for beginnings. I hope this picture will be good luck for your English studies. If you were Hindu, you would think so, too.

Have a nice weekend!

If I don't hang this laundry tonight, it will be a problem.


I've been talking about conditional sentences for the past three days:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-understand-conditional.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-get-to-station-before-last.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-put-hot-food-in-fridge-you-risk.html
Today, I want to talk about first conditional. We use first conditional to talk about:
  • a condition that really might happen sometime in the future
  • a real reaction to that possible condition
The grammar for first conditional is often (though not always) like this:
If you learn to use conditional sentences well, <- "if" clause, present tense
it will be useful. <- main clause, "will" + v
You can use it when you are making plans. The definitions below are from 英辞郎 on the web:
If the weather isn't good tomorrow, we'll have to cancel the hiking trip.
If I can find the time, I'll meet you at a cafe.
  • find the time to ~する時間{じかん}を作り出す・Somehow, she also finds time to do fifty sit-ups every day. : 彼女は毎日どうにか腹筋運動を50回する時間を作り出している。
You can use it when you are making threats:
If your factory makes another mistake, we will stop doing business with you.
  • do business 営業{えいぎょう}する、商売{しょうばい}する、ビジネスを行う、商談{しょうだん}する
If you don't treat me better, I'll leave you.
You can use it when you are making promises:
If you give us a good price, we'll definitely choose your factory.
If you help me, I'll help you in return.
  • in return 返礼{へんれい}[返報{へんぽう}・お礼・お返し・見返り]として
Simply, you can use it to talk about one particular future situation:
If I don't go to bed soon, I'll have trouble getting up in the morning. <- true!
If I forget to hang this laundry, it will definitely mildew. <- this time, this particular load of laundry, also true!
  • mildew うどん粉菌、白かび、うどん粉病
    However, compare that to yesterday's discussion of zero conditional:
    If I forget to hang wet laundry, it mildews. <- every time
    Tomorrow is my dad's birthday. If I forget to call him, his feelings will be hurt. If I call in the morning, I wonder if he'll be at home or outside having dinner with my mom. Because the people in my family like to talk on the phone, if I call in the morning, maybe I'll be late to my first appointment. If I call him after class though, he'll be on his way to work and won't have time to talk. Hmm... maybe I'll just have to call in the morning for a quick congratulations, and then call again later on the weekend when we both have more time.

    In the meantime, I had better go hang that wet laundry. If I don't, it will definitely stink in the morning.

    If you don't understand this explanation, I hope you will ask me about it.

    2009/06/10

    If you put hot food in the fridge, you risk spoiling the other food in there.


    I've been talking about conditional sentences the past two days:
    http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-understand-conditional.html
    http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-get-to-station-before-last.html
    First, to answer the questions from yesterday:
    If I hadn't been there to help him, he might have had to sleep on the street. <- third conditional It's late now. If I don't go to bed, I'll be really sleepy tomorrow. <- first conditional
    Today, I want to talk more about zero conditional. About grammar, zero conditional often uses present tense in both the "if" clause and the main clause.
    If you speak English <- "if clause", present tense (現在形) traveling abroad is more convenient. <- main clause, present tense (現在形)
    We often use it for things related to science:
    If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (boil = 煮える, 沸く)
    If surgeons do not disinfect their instruments, their patients get infections. (surgeon = 外科医; disinfect = 殺菌する?; patient = 患者; infection = 感染)
    We use it for facts:
    If you live in Tokyo, you have to deal with crowds. (deal with = 扱う; crowd = 群衆)
    If you live in West Texas, you have to deal with dust storms. (dust storm = 砂塵嵐)
    We use it for rules:
    If you speed while driving and the police see it, they usually give you a ticket. (ticket = 違反切符)
    In tennis, if you allow the ball to bounce twice on your side of the court, you lose the point.
    We also use it for things related to our habits or characters:
    If I don't listen to music during the day, I get grumpy. <- it's true! (grumpy = イライラする)
    If I don't have a cup of tea in the morning, I remain a zombie for an extra half hour. <- it's true, too!
    I cooked some vegetable soup for dinner, which I put buckwehat noodles into. Right now, the soup is sitting on the stove. It's cooling down. In a while, I'll put it in another container and put it in the fridge. The reason is that if you put something hot in the fridge, it heats the other food there. That increases the risk of food spoiling.

    I have a weak stomach. If I eat something that isn't really fresh or has gone slightly bad, my digestive system is a mess for days. As a result, I don't want to put the soup in the fridge right away.

    If you ever have a question, you should ask me.

    I am keeping my fingers crossed

    When was the last time you took a test? Was it a breeze? Or was it a tough nut to crack? Last Sunday I took a test (Yes, even teachers take tests sometimes). It was a six-hour testathon. The test was excruciatingly difficult. However I hope I pass and I am keeping my fingers crossed. Results come out in 7 weeks.

    *in a breeze
    簡単{かんたん}に

    *pass an exam in a breeze
    楽々と試験にパスする

    *That's a breeze.
    そんなの楽な仕事さ.

    tough nut to crack
    《a ~》割れにくい木の実、難問題{なんもんだい}、難物{なんぶつ}、扱いにくい人・He is a hard [tough] nut to crack and will never tell me the truth about what he did last week. :
    彼は難しい人で、先週何をしていたか、本当のことを決して言わない。

    This problem is a tough nut to crack, but we'll be able to solve it somehow.
    これは難題だが、何とか解決できるだろう。

    I don't know if I even have a chance, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
    私にチャンスがあるのかどうか分からないが、うまくいくように願っている。

    2009/06/09

    If you don't get to the station before the last train, you have to take a taxi.

    The headline is zero conditional. Yesterday, I started to explain conditional sentences (条件文).

    http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-you-dont-understand-conditional.html

    Remember that conditional sentences have two parts: the "if" clause, which describes a condition, and the main clause, which describes the reaction.
    If you don't get to the station before the last train, <- "if" clause, condition
    you have to take a taxi. <- main clause, reaction
    Zero conditional is used to talk about what happens every time, given a certain condition which happens more than once. We use it to talk about facts.
    If you don't get to the station before the last train, <- this happens sometimes
    you have to take a taxi. <- this is always true, unless, of course, you stay in a hotel, walk, or something else...
    First conditional is used to talk about what will happen in the future, given a certain real condition. The main clause is a real reaction, not imaginary.
    If you don't get to the station before the last train, <- today, this time (notice it looks the same as the example above)
    you will have to take a taxi. <- today, this time, in the future
    Second conditional is used to talk about what might happen in the future, given a certain condition which is very low probability or impossible. The main clause is the reaction to that impossible condition.
    If you didn't get to the station before the last train, <- but I know you will get to the station before the last train
    you would have to take a taxi. <- this doesn't matter, because I know you will get to the station
    Third conditional is used to talk about what might have happened in the future had a certain condition happened in the past. In fact, the condition didn't happen.
    If you hadn't gotten to the station before the last train, <- but you did get to the station
    you would have had to take a taxi. <- this is history, though. In fact, you got to the station, so you didn't have to take a taxi.
    After class tonight, I rushed over to Roppongi. I wanted to see a Swiss electronic musician's performance. His name is Andrea Valvini. We have been having an email discussion for a few months, and he has been in Japan for a week doing a tour. Fortunately, I saw the last 30 minutes of his performance. We talked while he was packing up his things. After he finished packing, we went to the station. Unfortunately, the last train to Tsukiji, where he was staying, had left.

    As a result, we took a taxi to Tsukiji. He was staying at a temple there. He said you have to be inside at midnight. We arrived there close to 12:30. The gates were shut and all of the lights were out. Fortunately, I had my bicycle safety light on my keychain, so I used it to get the attention of the guard sitting inside, who was a small old man, probably around 70. He looked out, saw two foreigners (and Andrea is REALLY BIG), and then went back inside.

    I shouted in Japanese "すみません" and then he came out again. So I told him in Japanese that we had a small problem.

    "This foreigner already has his luggage inside. Could you open the gate?" After he realized I could speak Japanese and understood the situation, he asked Andrea's name, we told him, he smiled, checked his list, and let Andrea inside. Andrea was saved.

    After I left him at the temple, I had to walk from Tsukiji to Kayabacho where I had left my bicycle. I got it, and now I'm home writing this post.

    If I hadn't been there to help him, he might have had to sleep on the street. <- which conditional is it?

    It's late now. If I don't go to bed, I'll be really sleepy tomorrow. <- and this one? Which conditional is it?

    Good night!

    2009/06/08

    If you don't understand conditional sentences, you are in luck! (条件文)


    Yes, you're in luck!
    in luck 運がよくて、運が向いて
    ・Oh, you're in luck! We have one left in the back. : ああ、あなたは運がいいですね。一つだけ在庫があります。
    ・I'm in luck! : これはついてる、何とラッキー!
    As I said last week, I'm going to spend a week discussing conditional sentences. If you ask me which parts of English give students the most trouble, I will tell you that conditional sentences is one of them.
    • conditional sentence 条件文
    There are four types of conditional sentences, which we can label this way: zero, first, second, and third. Look at some examples.
    • If I'm hungry, I eat something. (zero)
    • If I am hungry, I will eat something. (first)
    • If I were hungry, I would eat something. (second)
    • If I had been hungry, I would have eaten something. (third)
    If I ask you, can you tell me the differences between these sentences? If you can't, that's OK, because I'm going to explain them over the next few days.

    In the meantime, take a look at the dinner I prepared for myself this evening. It's laksa, which is a southeast Asian dish, on egg noodles with vegetarian dumplings and cucumber. The laksa included some nice tumeric from Mumbai, nice onions from Tsukiji, and nice dried lemongrass from California. Here's more about laksa:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laksa
    If you could eat like this every day, would you become a vegetarian, too? OK, I know you like to eat fish or something, but if you asked me, I would be happy to give you advice on being a vegetarian. More on conditional sentences tomorrow.

    2009/06/06

    「take leave」は自然な英語ですか?

    We were talking about this today. "Take leave" is natural English, but look at the meaning (definitions from 英辞郎 on the web):
    • take leave 休みを取る; She took leave to have a baby. : 彼女は赤ちゃんを産むために休みを取った。; いとま乞{ご}いする、いとまを告げる、告別する
    • take a leave from work 仕事{しごと}の休暇{きゅうか}を取る
    • take a leave of absence from ~から休暇{きゅうか}[休み]を取る[もらう]I've taken a leave of absence from my job.
    • take bereavement leave 忌引{きびき}で休む; 表現パターン take bereavement [compassionate, mourning] leave
    You can see that "taking leave" is not so common, and often done in situations which are not so good. An employee might be forced to take sick leave because of a serious illness. Having a child is a reason to take a leave of absence.

    Probably what people want to say is "take a day off" or "take some time off".
    • take a day off 休業する、1日休暇[休み]を取る I'm taking the day off tomorrow to make up for last Sunday. : 明日は先週の日曜日の代休を取ります。
    • take a day off from work 仕事を1日休む
    • take a full day off 丸一日休みを取る
    • take time off 時間を割く、休みを取る
    Usually, I'd be happy for you if you got to take a day off. If you were taking a leave of absence from work, I'd probably be concerned about you, unless it was to go back to school.

    I'm thinking about taking some days off in the fall to visit India. If you are planning on taking any days off in the near future, I hope you have a fun and safe time!

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend, assuming you have the weekend off.

    「familiar」の使い方

    When a student made this mistake, it seemed familiar. Other students have made similar mistakes.
    × I felt something familar with you.
    ○ I felt something familiar about you. <- I felt I had seen you before. Somehow, I knew something about you.
    Look at some definitions from 英辞郎 on the web:
    familiar with《be ~》~をよく知っている、~に詳しい[精通{せいつう}している・通じている]、~を熟知{じゅくち}している、~の勝手{かって}を知っている、~に慣れ親しんでいる、~になじんでいる、~となじみのある
    ・The user must be thoroughly familiar with its function before printing out. : 《マニュアル》印刷作業を開始する前に各機能について完全に理解しておいてください。

    familiar (adj) おなじみの、精通{せいつう}している、よく知られている、(~に)通じている、(~の)様子{ようす}を知っている、造詣{ぞうけい}が深い、心当たりがある
    ・I thought the voice sounded familiar. : 聞き覚えのある[どこかで聞いたことのある]声だと思いました。
    Now that you know that, you can say:
    × I am familiar about it.
    ○ I am familiar with it. <- I know of it.
    I know prepositions are tricky, but they can change the meaning of your sentence. Be careful! The more familiar you are with these expressions, the better your English will be.

    2009/06/04

    「future」と「feature」…気をつけて!

    I keep running across people confusing "future" and "feature".
    • run across ~に偶然会う We ran across an old friend of mine from high school. : 私たちは、高校時代からの古い友人に、偶然会った。
    • 機能 (きのう) (n,vs) function; facility; faculty; feature; (P); (definition from Edict)
    • feature an interview with(人)のインタビューを特集{とくしゅう}する (definition from 英辞郎 on the web)
    • 未来 (みらい) (n) (1) the future (definition from Edict)
    Here are some example mistakes.
    ×___ is futured. <- there's no such word in English
    ○ ___ is featured.
    × What kind of futures does it have?
    ○ What kind of features does it have? それにはどんな機能がありますか。
    but
    ○ What kind of future does it have? (have a future 将来性がある, definition from 英辞郎 on the web)
    The problem, I think, is that these two are pronounced similarly. However, they are not pronounced the same.
    feature = "fee" + "chur" (like in "churn", or like "purr" with a "ch" at the beginning)
    future = "few" + "chur" (the same as above)
    In the near future, this site will feature a series of posts on conditional sentences. You can expect that next week!
    • conditional sentence 条件文
    People should be careful with their use of English on signs to avoid being featured on our blog.

    We're looking forward to talking with you in the future.

    私が何を見ていると思う? Guess what I'm lookin' at?


    This is something I see from time to time in my afternoon class right after lunch. However it is the first time I have ever seen it on the train.
    Why are these high school kids on the train with their desks? Can you guess??
    ~と推測{すいそく}する
    ・You could guess as well as I could. :
    私にもよく分かりません。
    ・I'm just guessing. :
    想像ですが。

    うまく言い当てる、言い当てる、解きあてる
    ・I would never have guessed that. ; That isn't something I would have ever guessed. : そのことは全く予想していませんでした。
    〈米俗〉~だと思う
    ・I guess I can do that. : 《相手に誘われて》じゃあそうさせてもらおうかな。
    ・I guess I never will. : とても無理のようです。
    ・I guess you could say that. : そのようだね。
    Guess what?
    何だか分かる?/当ててみて。◆話を切り出すときや、相手の注意を引くときなどに使われる。

    Wouldn't you like a massage with every fax?


    My students found this pad of fax cover sheets in their office. There are too many silly things about this cover sheet. Notice the top right-hand corner.
    × telefax massage
    ○ telefax message; more commonly, fax cover sheet
    One student said "this sounds a bit naughty." I don't think I've ever seen a fax machine that looked like it could give a good massage. I'd like to receive a fax that said I could get a free massage, though, as long as it was a decent human giving the massage.

    You know, it's funny to say "telefax message." Of course it's a fax; it arrives at the fax machine! Calling it a cover sheet is better, because then we can be sure that the real document begins on the second page. Still, most people should realize that anyway.

    Once again, it's puzzling that a company would fax something abroad with such an obvious mistake. You want your customers to have confidence in dealing with you, so why not have a native speaker proofreader something that you will probably send thousands of? Strange, strange, strange...

    I don't really offer massages to students, but I would be happy to check this kind of critical document for you. Please be careful and pay attention to your company's documents at least!

    2009/06/02

    A question about a new non-fiction book.

    Someone wrote me this question:
    I've come across the following sentence. I do not get the meaning of it.
    What's the meaning of "background"?
    I do not get the structure of from to. Which of two "tos" is the one of "from .. to" structure?
    Here's the sentence being asked about:
    When you get a new cell phone, for example, you have series of choices to make. The fancier the phone, the more of the choices you face, from the background to the ring sound to the number of times the phone rings before the caller is sent to voice mail.
    Usually the phrase is "from A to B". However, sometimes we extend the use of the phrase to "from A to B to C (to D to E...)". By doing so,
    we are giving steps within the range from A to the final point.

    Personally, I don't like this style of writing so much. I prefer the style below:
    I drove from New York to Washington DC to Asheville, NC. <- not so good
    I drove from New York to Washington DC, and then on to Asheville, NC. <- better
    In this case, the meaning is that there are three features that come with fancier phones. The fancier the phone, the more choices you face, such as background image, ringtone, and the number of times the phone rings before the caller is sent to voice mail.

    Then the next question was:
    Does " the background to the ring sound", if it is a phrase, mean manner mode?
    "The background" refers to the background image of the screen. You can call it a wallpaper. "The ring sound" means "ring tone", the sound when the phone rings.

    The text being asked about appears to be from a book called "Nudge".
    http://books.google.com/books?id=dSJQn8egXvUC&dq=Nudge+by+Thaler+%26+Sunstein&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=ajUlSsntD4aUkAWxsaysBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4
    There's an excerpt of it here, including the sentence asked about above:
    http://aliciakan.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/good-marketers-are-good-choice-architects/
    From questions about grammar to confusion over vocabulary, I can take them all. Please ask!

    2009/06/01

    「offer」と「ask」の違いは何ですか。

    Tonight in class we had this discussion. We were talking about the difference between "offer" and "ask".

    Our discussion started with a question I asked:
    Have you ever been offered anything on the street? Did you take what you were offered?
    "Offer" means to ask someone if they want something. "Ask" just means to pose a question to someone.

    Look at these definitions for "offer" from 英辞郎 on the web:
  • 〔人が~を受け入れるよう〕申し出る、提示する
    ・He offered me a glass of wine. : 彼は私にグラス1杯のワインを勧めてくれました。
  • 〔ほかの人のために~しようと〕提案する、言う
    ・They offered me to stay at their house. : 彼らは私に家に泊まるように言ってくれました。
    ・He offered to drive me home. : 彼は私に、(車で)家まで送ろうかと言ってくれました。
  • So these sentences are strange:
    × I was offered the direction from here to the station. <- "Would you like me to give you directions from here to the station?"
    ○ I was asked the directions from here to the station. <- Someone wanted to know how to get to the station.
    × I'd like to offer you to lend your pen.
    ○ I'd like to ask you to lend me your pen. <- Could I borrow your pen?
    Look at the question at the top of the page again. Another way to ask the same thing is:
    Has anyone tried to give you something on the street? Did you take what they tried to give you?
    However, be careful. "Offer" and "give" aren't exactly the same thing.
    × She gave me a cup of tea, so I took it.
    ○ She offered me a cup of tea, so I took it. = She asked me if I wanted a cup of tea, so I said yes. Then she gave it to me.
    You could answer the question at the top of the page like this:
    I was offered some tissues as I was coming out of the station. They're really convenient to have in my bag, so I took them.
    We're always offering you advice on your English; we hope you'll take it.

    フォロワー